Remnants of The Past, Reflections in The Future
by The-Despondent-Insomniac
Summary: ELENA/DAMON- She can see it happening, as though through a frosted mirror: her fangs descending slowly, biting tauntingly into his neck as he moans out her name in ecstasy "Katherine!"...Elena sits up breathlessly in bed. The dreams have started again.
1. Chapter 1

**okay, so new story. This one is EXTREMELY AU as im sure most of you will realise after about five seconds. I haven't come across anything quite like it so far but i thought i'd give the idea a try :)**

**so I hope youll all enjoy it, the plot is pretty easy to pick up but if you have any questions or want me to clarify on anything just PM me and i'll be happy to answer any queries you may have :D....there should be a new chapter up every three days or so, but until then, any feedback you have is really appreciated and reviews are VERY welcome lol**

**sooo.....ENJOY :D:D:D**

**xoxox**

**Becca**

* * *

She can see his face, always his face: his eyes sapphire blue and shining, his lips luscious and full and pouting, his forehead creased in a scowl but his eyes dancing with sin. She can see his hair, rumpled deliciously and falling across his forehead. She can feel his hands on her body; caressing her with finger tips of velvet- making her moan, making her scream. His lips come down across her neck and she can feel them nibbling, biting, licking, sucking at the pulse point there, she can feel her teeth sharpening in response, her stomach coiling as his hands slide beneath her skirts. She hears herself whisper out his name as the uncontrollable urge to have him, to taste him overpowers her. She drags his mouth to hers, her mouth harsh and bruising against his, her tongue soft and soothing as she pushes him back against the sheets. He looks up at her, his eyes playful and promising under his dark brows as he tilts his head back invitingly and offers her his throat.

"_Damon" you whisper out in reverence. No one has ever tasted as sweet and sinful as he does to you. You are almost reluctant to take from him when he offers himself to you, so precious is he. But you cannot resist, not when he looks at you and sees past the monster others have dubbed you, right into the soul you didn't believe you had until you met him. He is so innocent, so beautifully naive at times- but with a wild streak, one of mischief and sinful delights that thrills you to the bone and makes you wish you never had to let him go._

_You lower your mouth to his neck as he rolls his hips torturously into your own and as his hands continue to send you closer and closer to the brink of ecstasy. You lick the skin with a reverence that surprises even you before opening your moth fully and letting your teeth slice through the layers of skin there; feeling yourself tremble with excitement as his life flows into your mouth and he gasps your name; clutching at you with one hand while the other finally pushes you over the edge._

"_Katherine" he screams as you continue to drain the life from his veins, your hands moving expertly over his body; nails digging, fingers smoothing, hips rolling in time with his until he gaspingly chases you over the precipice that tips you both straight into heaven._

_You remove your mouth from his neck and glance up playfully into his exhausted eyes as his hands gently smooth down your skirts and come up to encircle your waist; pulling you into him as he smirks lazily up at you. You can feel the blood still dripping sluggishly from your lips, but before you can lick it off he is reaching up and pulling your head down towards his own; his tongue flitting out just as your lips brush his to wipe away the evidence of your inhumanity, taking it into his own body, accepting every single part of you without disgust before your lips crash together again and you are flipped onto your back as he leisurely explores your mouth. _

_You grin up at him in contentment hours later as you watch the sun slowly set through his window; your head resting gently against his shoulder while he pulls the pristine sheets up over you both to cover your naked bodies and his arms slip around you to hold you to him tightly. He leans down and presses a heartfelt kiss to your forehead and you feel the words slip from your mouth with ease as sleep slowly overcomes you both._

"_I love you Damon"_

Elena sat up in bed panting as sweat beaded on her forehead and tears dripped slowly from her eyes. She had the dream again, the same one week after week since the start of summer, it was driving her crazy. She didn't know how much longer she could go on like this, being haunted by her own dreams. She could feel her heart racing as she chugged down the glass of water at her bedside and tried furiously to swipe the tears from her cheeks. Giving up and succumbing to the irrationality of it all for a moment, she let herself break down and collapsed back into the pillows sobbing; the feeling of loss- both for her parents and inexplicably, for the man in her dreams. She allowed herself to cry for only a few minutes before forcing herself to pull it together and glancing at her bedside clock. 5:43AM. With a sigh, Elena reached beneath her pillow and grabbed her diary- determined to get all her pent up feelings out before she had to get up for the first day back at school since the crash.

**Dear diary,**

**Today is going to be different, I can feel it...**


	2. Chapter 2

_**h**_**ey guys, so as promosed, here is the next chapter in what im hoping is going to be a pretty good story. Thank you all so much for thee freat response i got to the first chapter, it was really great :D ....i hope you all like this chapter just as much, if not more and will leave me some feedback. Anonymous reviews as well as signed ones are always welcome, any constrructive crit also. If there are any mistakes or things you feel need improving just tell me and i'll try my hardest to fix them for you.**

**Apart from that, ENJOY :D...and since i cant quite remember if i added it last chapter, here is my disclaimer: dont own, never have, never will....but if Ian Somerhalder ever comes up for sale, believe me, he's mine! hahaha....next chappie in about 3 days or if i get an overwhelming (15+) number of reviews before then :)**

**xoxox**

**Becca**

_

* * *

Stefan Salvatore_. There was something about him that drew her towards him, a feeling of familiarity she couldn't explain. She felt like she knew him, but he claimed to have just moved to Mystic Falls. Still, he caught her attention more than anyone else had recently. Maybe she would get to know this Stefan better. He was certainly interesting enough. And smart. And cute. And he kept a journal of all things. No guys she knew did that; most of them thought they were silly, or a waste of time. But not Stefan apparently. Maybe he would be good for her, be just the distraction she needed to finally get over her parents' deaths...

She liked him, she decided. Maybe not with the instant burning passion she'd always dreamed of finding with someone, but when he wasn't disappearing on her, he was actually very charming. And a good listener she smiled lightly to herself as she settled into bed and scribbled down everything that had happened since the party into her diary. She could easily see herself becoming infatuated with Stefan Salvatore. It would be nice to have someone in her life again she thought smiling as she flicked off the bedside lamp and settled down to what would hopefully be a peaceful sleep for once.

"_Katherine...."_

**Dear diary, **

**For the first time in a long time, I feel good...**

She wakes up feeling refreshed for the first time in months with a smile on her face; the lingering images of her dream of blue, blue eyes and full, smirking lips fading to the back of her mind as she gets ready for the day.

She doesn't know quite what drives her to do it, she's not the sort of girl who just goes to a guys house and demands he sleep with her, but something about the idea of Stefan's house...what it looks like...where he spends his days..._who else might be there_... makes it seem like a good idea and as she rushes away from Bonnie and Caroline, blue eyes flash through her mind; daring, challenging, laughing, loving.

She almost stops when she gets to his front door, common sense beginning to filter into her mind; screaming at her to turn around, that she's finally gone mad, that this will only end badly. But she pushes the thoughts aside, something is drawing her into this house and she can't stop it, can't fight it. And she doesn't want to. She wants to know what it is about Stefan, Stefan's home, Stefan's life that is so intriguing to her. And the answers are right through that open doorway.

She steps through slowly and calls out for the boy she supposedly came to see. But as she wanders around the foyer, taking in everything she finds herself waiting, searching for something and she has no idea what it is. Only that it isn't Stefan, it's much, much more important than him...she just can't seem to figure out _quite_ what it is she's looking about so frantically for. But then the floor creaks. And that god awful crow flies right at her face. And she's spinning, trying to avoid it hitting her and suddenly, **He's **there.

The dark stranger from her dreams. The one she pictures night after night. The one whose hands drive her to insanity every. Single. Time she dreams of him. He's standing there, smirking down at her with the smirk that's so achingly familiar she can barely even breathe. The crow is forgotten, Stefan is forgotten. All she can focus on is Him. From his slight smirk and the quirk of his eyebrows she knows he can see the want and instant desire on her face but she can't bring herself to care; still too stunned by the reality of him.

At his inquisitive look she stumbles her way through an explanation of her presence- automatically deciphering every twitch of his brow or crinkle of his eyes with an ease that almost surprises her. She can read him like a book she thinks and her brain only dimly recognises how wrong this whole situation is, because she can't concentrate and she can't breathe and he's speaking and oh god, she's missed his voice. But no, because she's never heard it before and she's never met him before and she must be dreaming because there is no way this is actually happening.

His words finally register in her brain and her name has never sounded so wrong before. But now he's calling her Elena and all she wants to do is hear him whisper to her like he does at night. She wants to hear him say it; wants to hear him call her it just once when she's awake. Katherine.

"I'm Damon" he offers when she remains silent, too stunned to think properly and staring openly against her will at the beautiful man standing before her. One she's sure she's met and knows she's dreamed of and dear god, how did she know his name was actually Damon? She thought she made it up; thought he was a figment of her imagination but here he is, standing right in front of her with those eyes and that hair and looking exactly the same as she remembers. And she's got to stop doing that, she doesn't know him and never did. She has to stop thinking things about him and thinking she remembers things about him because that's impossible and she doesn't believe in the impossible. Not anymore.

"I'm Stefan's brother" he adds when she continues to stare- trance like at him. Again she's shocked, but this time she can feel a smile curving her lips upwards as the pieces finally start to slip into place. This is why she was so drawn to Stefan; this is why she was so drawn towards the house. _Him_, Damon.

She's coy when she replies, unable to help the slightly flirty edge that tinges her voice as she looks up at him from under her lashes. "He didn't tell me he _had _a brother"

He smirks at her in that way that's been leaving her breathless for a lifetime of dreams and leans into her slightly as he husks out "Well, Stefan's not one to brag"

She can't help the small laugh that bubbles from her mouth at the overly cocky response that is just so _him _she almost doesn't believe it as she stares into the face that she knows so well, it's almost engraved beneath her eyelids. He stares right back and she can't help but think that he knows exactly what's going through her mind right now and he knows her just as well as she knows him. His eyes flit across her face, resting on her lips as he scrutinises her and takes a deep breath as he steps forward slightly. She knows she should move backwards, they're practically breathing the same breath he's so close to her right now. But she can't move. She doesn't **want **to move. She's wanted him near to her in reality for so long now that moving even an inch would feel like masochism of the highest degree.

His eyes darken as she looks unashamedly up at him and she doesn't even think he realises it when he breathes out the name she's so irrationally wanted to hear since she laid eyes on him for real.

"Katherine"


	3. Chapter 3

**hey guys, so heres the next chapter, i hope you all enjoy it. feel free to R&R....next chapter will be up...sometime...in the future. im not all that sure when. im not exactly in the mood to write. or do anything else for that matter, at the moment. im posting this chapter because i promised it, but the next one may be a few weeks coming. sorry. im just not having the best time at the moment and i dont want my work suffering because of it. all reviews/feedback is welcome. i hope you all enjoy.**

**bye for now.**

**Becca**

* * *

"_Katherine..."_

Her eyes must widen or her face register shock that he finally did say it-that she hasn't just been dreaming of fantasies, that it all actually real. **He's **actually real- because he takes a step back and his face closes off. He turns to walk away and before she can register what she's doing, she reaches out and catches hold of his arm, gripping it tightly as she turns him back to face her; her eyes begging him not to leave. Their gazes crash together and her eyes rove frantically over his face, searching for some clue as to _why in god's name_ she is acting like this. She doesn't even know him!

His hand reaches between them and grasps her own, gently prying her fingers from his shirt but not letting go even once he has done so. Instead he grips it carefully, as though testing the feel of it in his own while his eyes search her face once again; looking for what she isn't sure, but she's almost certain she's doing the exact same thing so she's not going to complain. Not if it keeps him right here, with her.

His face changes ever so slightly, so little that on anyone else she knows she'd never notice it but on him it's as though his entire demeanour has changed to stone through that one tiny flick of his eyebrow. She opens her mouth to question him, her hand curling tighter around his own as she does so but before she lets out a sound, Damon lazily intones

"Hello Stefan" while never once removing his eyes from hers. His sudden presence startles her, some instinct telling her she should have been aware of him. She had almost forgotten he even existed, so lost was she in her own thoughts and the thousand stories begging to be told in Damon's eyes.

He stares coldly down at them both from the staircase and she feels Damon slip his hand from hers as he centres his attention on his brother. Stefan's appearance startles her enough to force her back into reality and she takes a hasty step away from Damon in an attempt to distance herself from the irrational thoughts circulating her brain. She sees his face twitch just slightly and she knows he's seen the move. And he doesn't like it.

She can feel her brain clouding up again as she watches him out of the corner of her eye, trying and failing to pay attention to what Stefan is saying. When the words do finally penetrate through the Damon induced fog, she mumbles a quick apology for her unexpected visit and lets herself be herded out the door within seconds; slightly grateful –if confused- at his cold greeting because although it means she's being chased away from Damon at lightening quick speed, it also gives her mind a chance to catch up and process everything that just happened.

Seconds before Stefan successfully shoos her out the door, she feels her hand grasped and a pair of lips that leave trails of fire blazing their way up her arms, touch the skin of her inner wrist delicately, while glowing sapphire eyes stare meaningfully into her own. He pulls back as she takes the final step backwards out of the house. Just before his lips leave her skin entirely, she swears she can feel his tongue flicker out oh so lightly and taste her. It nearly causes her knees to buckle from beneath her and from the look in his laughing eyes; he knows _exactly _what he is doing to her.

"Good**bye** Elena" Stefan growls from within the dark foyer and with one last fleeting glance at Damon, she finally forces herself to move, to leave, to get home.

She collapses into her bed the second she reaches her room; sighing in frustration and confusion. She has no idea what is going on with her anymore. Ever since she began having dreams- impossible dreams- of Damon, she's been acting less and less like herself; like there is someone else inside her, pushing to get out. She doesn't understand it, and if she's honest, now that she knows Damon isn't just a fantasy dreamed up by her imagination, she's a little frightened of what it could all mean.

The one thing she does know is that she needs to stay far away from Damon Salvatore for the foreseeable future. Just being around him for a few minutes had been intoxicating: she could see the images from her dreams seeping into her conscious mind; sharpening so much she could almost _taste _the smoke on the wind from her latest dream. The images from them usually faded with the sun, disappearing into her mind like shadow and mist, yet with one touch from Damon, they came flooding to the forefront of her mind; almost blinding her with their intense reality; fogging up her mind and making her almost oblivious to Stefan's presence. They had seemed as real to her as his hand holding hers to him like it was the most delicate gem in the world. She can only hope she'll be able to find the will power to stay away. _She never has been able to resist the charm of the Salvatore's. _


	4. Chapter 4

_....**enjoy :)**_

**_xoxox_**

**_Becca_**

_

* * *

_

...Then let me _**be**__ killed!...KATHERINE!..._

She awakes to the sounds of distant screaming and laughter; the ghostly feeling of a caress lingering on her cheek and with the instinctive knowledge she is not alone. Looking around her room frantically for any sign of an intruder- or Jeremy playing a prank- her gaze falls on the clock at her bedside; a note propped against it while the quietly ticking hands display the time 8:29PM- the comet would be at its height in under an hour. Frowning in confusion and sweeping up the note, Elena quickly reads over Jenna's messy scrawl and collapses back against the pillows of her bed with a sigh.

_**Elena, tried to wake you up. Me and Jer are at the festival. Come join us when you get up.**_

_**Love you.**_

_**Jenna.**_

Closing her eyes tightly and breathing deeply, she slowly lets her thoughts wander over her dream from the night before while trying to reign in the tears that are threatening to fall as she recalls the terror and anguish of her nightmare. They are getting worse; more and more frequent. Tonight she heard Damon screaming for her; tears on his cheeks as she felt herself being torn from him- his desperate shrieks filling her ears while she fought powerlessly against the shackles binding her; her own growls and cries muffled by the muzzle that had been forced between her teeth.

_She could hear him crying out for her as she desperately tried to fight off the vervain coursing through her system; rendering her weak, powerless and unable to so much as move. Her body felt limp as it was dragged towards the filthy prison wagon waiting by the front porch. It was all she could do to keep her eyes fixed on his as rough hands carried her closer and closer to her death. His eyes were filled with anguish and terror as he fought against his father's restraining arms; they pleading with her to free herself, to run- flee. Anything to get to safety. She stared fixedly back; finding it difficult to focus on anything but him as pain tore her apart from the inside._

_She could hear him screaming as she was carried out of view, his words damning him in his father's eyes as he fought to get to her. She could see Stefan standing to the side, a look of guilt and resignation on his face as he watched her being thrown into the wagon. She wanted to hiss and tear his throat out for this deception. All the reasons why she had ever struggled to choose between him and Damon faded away in that moment; replaced by a burning sense of betrayal and bitterness at his cowardice. _

_Gathering what little strength she had, she renewed her struggles against the drug working its way through her. She saw Damon come into view, his face twisted in agony as he sped towards her; his father's angry shrieks echoing in the background as he stormed after his son. Finding enough strength to force herself to her feet, she managed to stumble her way back towards the still wide open entrance of the wagon; flinging herself towards the doorway as she saw Damon make his way ever closer. She felt her body hit the ground by his feet; her face crumpling in pain as it took the force of the impact. He skidded to a stop, inches from her and dragged her to him, his arms wrapping around her protectively as he ripped the muzzle from between her lips._

_They started to run, him supporting her as they tried to force their way past the horde of councilmen- all of whom were closing in on them. She felt herself stumble as one of them- Lockwood- grabbed her by the hair and dragged her backwards; felt the scream tear its way from her throat as the pain burned its way through her scalp; herd Damon yell in anger as his fist reared back and connected with Lockwood's nose- breaking it and adding yet another scream to the night as she fell to the ground: weak from the vervain and bereft of Damon's supportive arms._

_She saw the council approaching them, on all sides now- closing in on the vampire and the traitor- she tried to cry out in warning to Damon, but found herself unable to make another sound; too much pain crippling her and rendering her immobile. She saw him straighten up; panting heavily as he stared down at the comatose body of one of the towns elders; his eyes burning with anger and protectiveness. The council advanced silently as he tried to catch his breath- weakened and bloody from the fistfight. The wooden handles of their weapons descended on him from all angles; battering his already bruised body and forcing him into the dirt beside her. Through it all, his eyes never left hers; even as tears poured from his eyes and blood streaked his agonised face._

_She could barely move; still could not force a sound from beneath her lips but through the haze of pain she managed to agonisingly drag her hand into his vision line; wincing with pain and heartache as he brought his own up to firmly grasp her fingers; bowing his abused head over them as pained screams were torn from his throat._

_When they were done, the council grasped her by the arms and bodily dragged her back towards the wagon; tossing her limp and unmoving form into its blackened depths once again. Damon lay on the dirt road beside it- bleeding and unconscious, his hand still outstretched to where hers had been. Watching him with tortured eyes through a crack in the wagons wooden wall, she felt tears streak her cut and bleeding cheeks as she whispered his name in agony and slowly slipped into unconsciousness- the wagon taking her steadily closer to the stake with every undead breath she dragged into her burning lungs._

Shaking herself out of her morbid and disconcerting thoughts, she drags herself slowly from her bed and trudges into the bathroom to shower and get ready. Caroline will kill her if she doesn't make an appearance.


	5. Chapter 5

**next chapter at 30 reviews...enjoy :)**

**xoxox**

**Becca**

* * *

She can see her group of friends up ahead, chatting together and glancing up at the faint blue blur that was the comet- its light slowly getting brighter as the night around them grew darker and illuminated the icy trail it made as it passed through the cool night sky. She finds herself transfixed, staring unseeingly up at it as images of firelight and burning torches flicker across her vision- interspersed with agonised blue eyes and a crude amber pendant; swaying gently on a delicate chain.

Elena is jerked back to the present at the feel of a hand resting gently on her shoulder and turns quickly to see the rest of her friends gathered around her; smiling at her and offering her a light for the small candle she finds pressed insistently into her hand by Caroline. Matt is standing at her side, his hand the one that had touched her, staring down at her in silent question. She smiles back at him quickly in reassurance; her mantra of _I'm fine, everything is fine. Thank you _dancing tauntingly through her head as she quickly turns away from his concerned- puppy dog gaze. She feels guilt wash over her as she turns away and sees his crestfallen face from the corner of her eye. She doesn't want to hurt him, she just doesn't want **him** anymore and he can't understand seem to understand that. Sighing deeply, she prepares to turn back and apologise; try to make an effort like she promised herself she would when suddenly she feels the hairs on the back of her neck stand on end and a delicious shiver travel down the length of her spine. Someone is watching her.

Turning slowly on the spot, instinct guiding her movements, she slowly scans the crowd around her; looking for someone specific but knowing instinctively that none of the people her eyes are landing on is them. Then, she sees him. Standing perfectly still- slightly away from the crowd with his eyes fixed solely on her. Damon Salvatore. His eyes catch her watching him and very deliberately flick from her face to the comet just beginning to reach its zenith above them. She can almost see the torchlight from her dreams flickering across his perfectly unblemished face; her mind still trying to forget the way it had looked twisted in pain and agony as blood flowed freely down his cheeks, into the muddy earth below.

Shaking the image from her mind, her eyes find his again in the darkness- the overwhelming colour of them seeming to shine through the gloom as they burn into hers. His head is inclined oh-so-slightly towards her; acknowledging, beckoning and before she can stop herself, she finds her feet moving steadily towards him- ignoring the questioning calls of her friends behind her and focussing only on reaching his side.

He doesn't say a word when she reaches him, instead letting his eyes bore into her while she stares back- transfixed. His mouth lifts into a half smile and she finds her own doing the same as she murmurs his name quietly in greeting. Silently, as one, they turn their gazes back to the comet flaring bright above them now- almost at its height and blazing ice-blue flames so bright she thinks they almost rival the colour of his eyes. The rest of the crowd melts away as she stares up at it transfixed, her mind barely registering the feeling of another hand slipping into her own. She tears her eyes away from the sky just long enough to glance towards Damon- seeing the shadow of pain flashing across his face as he too stares into the inky darkness and his fingers unconsciously tangle with hers.

She looks back to the sky, content to leave her hand tangled gently with his, unworried about letting a stranger hold her hand so intimately or what he friends must be thinking. All she cares about for the moment is Damon and the comet. Everything else can wait.

A cheer goes up from the crowd; the comet has reached its zenith. For the first time in one hundred and forty six years it passes over Mystic Falls, Virginia. Elena lowers her gaze as all around her people begin to extinguish their small candles, leaving the town in complete darkness. Her eyes meet those of Damon's once again as his too slip back towards earth- back to the present. She smiles at him briefly; an image of him in a confederate soldiers uniform dancing across her vision before everything starts to crowd in on her and a hundred different voices force their way into her head; chattering, screaming, shouting, soothing.

Clutching her temples in agony and letting out an almost feral whimper, she tries to block the noises from her mind; only succeeding in making her vision blur as image after image races painfully past her eyes: _Damon in uniform, Damon staring down at her playfully, Damon lapping at her lips with a perfectly sculpted tongue. Torches swarming towards her, fire; burning, hot, bright. Emily standing before her in the middle of the raging flames: crude amber pendant dangling between her dark fingers on a delicate chain, as her mouth works furiously- spitting the words into the building inferno and ignoring the smoke curling up around her own ankles as she ruthlessly works her magic. _

_She feels the pendant being forced roughly into her hand just as the flames erupt around her- catching easily on the overly flammable pieces of brushwood the church is stacked with as she struggles uselessly against the wooden post binding her. She lets out a scream; blood curdling and agonised as she feels the fire drag her into its depths. Emily disappears into the darkness as the flames build- searing her to the very soul as they devour her body. When the pain becomes too intense, she finds she can't even scream anymore; instead, she feels almost light. Blackness surrounds her through the haze of the flickering flames and at last, with one last pained whimper, she collapses and lets the darkness consume her. _


	6. Chapter 6

**hey guys, so this story is still technically on hiatus, however as im currently in bed with a lovely (bloody horrible) sickness bug, i managed to get another chapter typed up ****for you all :)**

**i really hope you all enjoy it, the next chapter will be up relatively soon, but as i said, im still technically taking a break with it at the moment. i just thought thanks to all the feedback ive been getting, i'd get this one up :D**

**also i'd like to say an ultra special thank you to **_Emowyen, future mrs. wayland, mrs. cullen__22 _and _NeverSayNever95_- my most faithful reviewers. T**hank you also to everyone else for the great understanding of the hiatus and the amaing feedback in general, im sorry i have to take a break, but school comes first :)**

**xoxox**

**Becca**

* * *

She wakes to the feel of silk sheets caressing her body and a hand in her hair. Letting out a low moan, she tries to shut out the sound of the voice calling her voice repeatedly from somewhere above her and turns her face to burrow into the pillows. Dislodging the hand and allowing her senses to sigh in bliss at the delicious smell that fills her nose, she pulls a pillow to her face and inhales in contentment. She sleepily wonders how she ended up back in her bed but can't bring herself to care when the gentle hand that was previously stroking her hair, moves to her back and begins lazily massaging her back into consciousness.

The feeling of strong gentle fingers roving across her skin almost makes her moan in contentment. She knows those hands, knows the touch and feel and shape of them- knows them so intimately the feeling of them is almost engraved in her very _soul_. But slowly, slowly comes the realisation: There is a man. In her room. With her. Damon is here, in her room...but no, because her sheets are not silk, and they smell of jasmine, not Damon...and she was meant to be at the festival. But she's not. She's here. In Damon's bed. With him. Alone. _What the hell is going on?_

She hears a chuckle from beside her; resonating deep from within his chest, coming out a rumbling purr more than a laugh as she slowly lets her eyes slip open; the headache she can feel pounding against her skull momentarily distracting her from the sight of him leaning over her- eyes gleaming in both wariness and amusement. Her heart is pounding uncontrollably in her chest as he continues deftly moving his fingers up and down her spine- long drawn out strokes of bliss that send shivers rippling down her shirt clad body- his palms following with slow, rolling circles; making her want to beg him to never stop touching her.

His hands finally come to rest on her shoulders, smoothing the exposed skin there delicately as his voice slides- smooth, like warm honey and hot oil- into her ear in an almost whispered caress of a greeting. His eyes hold her entranced within their depths- laughter showing clearly in his as she struggles to focus and not simply succumb to the satisfaction spreading lazily through her body- making her want to groan with contentment. She doesn't find it strange- like she probably should- that she is so comfortable with him after only knowing him for a day- a five minute greeting really. She's too busy concentrating on slowing her racing heart and gathering the will power to move to pay attention to how strange this situation would seem to anyone else.

He doesn't seem in the least uncomfortable either- staring at her with a soft, crooked smirk and tilt to his head- scrutinising her face carefully even as his shows only amusement- trying to read her, trying to see into her very soul; trying to uncover all her secrets and leave her nowhere to hide as she gets lost in the ever changing facets of his inscrutable face. She sits up slowly, feeling his hand trail slowly off her shoulders as she does so and fighting the shiver that comes with it. Back turned to him now, she lets her hair cascade down to cover her face- fighting to slow her breathing and gain back some control. She slowly brings her head up as she twists around so she is facing him; slipping her sock covered feet to the floor and glancing up at him from beneath lowered lids. She has no idea how she got here, only a vague memory of the comet overhead and his hand in hers- then another of her dreams, chased away by the touch of his fingers on her skin. She knows she should be worried, waking up in a stranger's bedroom, but with him there, staring down at her with such liquid intensity in his gaze, she can't bring herself to care about anything outside of this moment.

Thoughts of Jeremy and Jenna and very vaguely Stefan, float languidly through her head as she tries to make her mind focus on something other than **him**. Her mind fogs over as she continues to stare at him dumbly; images of him with wild, curly hair- rumpled and perfect as he lays spread eagled over a huge bed; a grey blue hat perched precariously on his head- dance across her vision, refusing to let her think clearly. Before she can stop herself, her hand is reaching up and caressing the contours of his face. His name slips longingly from her lips- agony and remembered grief making it come out raw as her mind is flooded with a hundred different images of him; laughing, talking, chasing after her, howling in pain, sobbing in sorrow, scowling at Stefan jealously, gazing at her with love in his eyes... The list is endless. She has seen every conceivable emotion there is on his beautiful face. And she's missed them all so much. She doesn't even bother to correct herself of the stray though this time, she is too exhausted- mentally and physically to bother anymore.

He is sitting perfectly still, statue like beneath her fingers. She doesn't even think he's breathing as she continues to run her fingers freely, ardently over his face- taking in everything she possibly can in the few seconds he has allowed her to touch him. His eyes are wide, wary and confused but she can still see the cogs turning furiously in his head- working overtime to compensate for the momentary freeze up when her fingers touched him. Her brain is slowly, oh so slowly catching up with her actions and she can feel her face heating up as her fingers grind to a halt on his smooth cheeks- feeling the cool planes of his face beneath her palms and the rise of his cheekbones beneath her finger tips as she finally realises just what it is she's doing. He may be _Damon_, the man she's been dreaming of for months, but he's also **Damon**, Stefan's brother, stranger to her. Who she just met and who barely has any idea who she is.

She feels embarrassment and shame begin to course through her as her cheeks flood with heat and she drops her gaze to the sheets beneath her- studying the nonexistent patterns on the smooth black silk- waiting for him to make the next move: laugh at her, send her home...have her committed. Instead, she feels the cool brush of his fingers beneath her chin, tilting her head slowly back up until her eyes meet his. His are calm now, cool but bursting with a strange mixture of hope and disbelief and just a little wariness. His voice is even, no inflection or personality to it at all as he says her name.

"Elena" simple, said more as a statement than anything else. But still, she can't help the slight flinch. It's minute, barely noticeable even to her but the lingering disappointment she can feel is much more apparent- making her frown delicately- even though she has no idea why.

She sees him studying her again, readying himself to say something more- his eyes fixed solely on her, slight fear burning deep within them as the word slips from between his lips, seemingly without his consent.

"_Katherine?"..._


	7. Chapter 7

**...enjoy :)**

**xoxox**

**Becca**

* * *

"_Katherine?_"... it's a whisper, disbelievingly pained and barely even there. He looks momentarily shocked that he actually said it but she can't help the soft smile that spreads its way across her face at the sound of it on his lips. Katherine. It sounds right, it fits. It's _hers_. And she never wants to stop hearing him say it. She feels herself begin to nod fervently in acknowledgement, but with the first jerk of her head, pulls herself sharply back into reality. Jumping up from the bed and shaking her head furiously, she quickly backs away from the beautiful, hopeful, broken man sitting on it- staring up at her with frenzied hope and desperation in his eyes, following her every move as she darts around the room, searching for the door.

She stumbles across the room towards the door, her mind racing- thoughts in turmoil as she wonders what the hell just happened. She catches sight of her leather jacket as she races around the room and the sight makes her stop short. It is casually thrown over the back of a high-backed wing chair with Damon's slung right beside it. The sight makes her heart falter and suck in a deep breath as tears spring to her eyes. She wraps her arms tightly around herself to try and gather what little self control she has left at the moment and breathes deeply in an attempt to stop the tears overflowing.

She feels him behind her a second later and can't resist the urge to turn around and face him. The second she is fully turned towards him and her eyes meet his- hers tear filled and red, his wary and worried- he draws her into his arms and she begins to sob; deep choking sobs- wrenched from deep within her chest- letting out everything she has felt in the last few months. All the pain, the confusion, the anger at her parents deaths, and now, her utter bewilderment at what is happening to her whenever he is around; the dreams, the feeling of connection, the longing to hear him call her by a name not her own. He pushes her hair gently back from her face tenderly as she chokes out

"I-I don't...I don't under- understand what's **happening **to m-me"

He shushes her quietly, running his hands gently up and down her shoulders in an attempt to calm her and carefully smoothes the tears from her cheeks while she tries to simply breathe and bring herself out of her suddenly irrational state. She glances back over her shoulder at their jackets- thrown so casually together. It looks so simple, so domesticated and usual that she barely manages to hold back another bout of sobs as she clutches desperately to Damon's shirt. She isn't even aware of the words forming in her mind until they've somehow slipped passed her lips and she can do nothing to take them back again.

"_I've missed you __**so much**__ Damon"_

He freezes for a moment, stands completely still in her clinging embrace- arms still locked tight around her, but statue like, immobile now. She cringes; cursing herself for the words she wasn't even aware she was going to say and begins to try and pull away from him- her humiliation weighing on her so much she can barely even breathe. Before she even gets a chance to move however, Damon has forced himself back to life, drawing away from her slightly to scrutinise her face- checking her sincerity- before crushing her back to him almost painfully as he buries his face in her hair and simply holds her.

She can hear him muttering, over and over again into her neck, "I'll fix this; I'll find a way to fix this. It's going to be okay, **we're **going to be okay. I'll fix this." Over and over again, it is his mantra against her skin- putting her at ease, lulling her gently into calm serenity with the assurance of his words. She feels the world slipping away after a while, his murmured reassurances still caressing her neck; surrounding her in safety as she lets herself drift into an emotionally exhausted sleep right there in his arms.


	8. Chapter 8

She wakes up to the sun shining directly on her face- her head pillowed on Damon's surprisingly comfortable chest as his arm hold her securely against him. Her own hands are tangled up in him; one wrapped tightly around him, clutching his far side while the other is hidden, half under his body where his arm comes around her. Her hair is splayed wildly across him- contrasting starkly with the pale skin of his abdomen while her own honey toned skin seems to simply melt into his they are so closely entwined. She chances a glance up at his face, feeling her heart starting to pick up at the sight of him still sleeping; a tiny frown creasing the fold between his eyes as he starts to drift into consciousness. She feels his arm tighten around her gently as he slowly wakes up and she finds she can't quite contain the soft smile that floats across her face when she feels the reflexive action. Her own hand slowly drifts up his side, coming to rest on the smooth, hard planes of his chest as she watches him from under her lashes- waiting almost breathlessly for him to open his eyes.

When they do finally flicker open; ash black lashes lazily sliding upwards to reveal the shocking blue beneath, she feels her heart stutter just a little and knows he must have felt it from the predatory, satisfied grin that immediately slides its way across his lips. She blushes and lightly slaps his arm; her own sheepish smile curving her lips upwards slightly while she ducks her head in embarrassment. She feels almost unnaturally rested, her body completely relaxed; curled up against that of a practical stranger. She didn't have a single dream the night before. Not one that didn't involve gentle, lingering kisses and slow, swaying-to-imaginary-music hugs anyway. Her mouth opens of its own volition as she slowly traces patterns and swirls across his chest- voicing a question that has been slowly ticking over in her mind since she first saw him.

"Damon, do you believe in reincarnation?" she refuses to look at him as she asks, her voice trembling slightly- afraid he'll know exactly why she's asking and laugh at her. But he doesn't, he remains silent for several long seconds, until she is finally forced to glance up to make sure he hasn't fallen back asleep. He hasn't, instead he's gazing down at her- is gaze inscrutable as he studies her. He glides a hand down her camisole covered back and coils a strand of her hair around a finger while she waits patiently for his answer. When it comes, it's reluctant, as though he wished there was any other way to phrase it.

"I didn't. But then I met you. Now I'm not sure what to think." He falls silent for a moment, staring at a point on the wall behind her head- unable to meet her gaze as he continues in a pained whisper- sounding almost scared to voice his next thoughts. "I thought you were dead, I saw you _burn_ and there was nothing I could do to stop it. But now you're here. Alive. _Breathing. _And I don't know if it's some of Emily's hocus pocus, or something else altogether."

She stares at him in astonishment; he's talking as though he can read her mind, has seen inside her dreams. **Lived** her dreams: the burning, Emily, him watching as she is dragged away into the fire. It was all real? She thought they really were just dreams, but maybe, they were something else entirely. Memories? He must notice her confused and shocked face because he cups her cheeks in his hands and raises her head up to his until they are eye level as he whispers her name in reverence. Brushing his nose along hers- stopping just short of kissing her, he murmurs quietly, his breath gusting against her lips while his eyes dilate and turn silver

"_Katherine..._how much do you remember from 1864?"


	9. Chapter 9

She knows he's done something to her as he mouth opens involuntarily and she begins telling him of the fragmented dreams and images that have been plaguing her for months now. She starts with the first one, the one she had three days before her parents accident and finishing with the one from just the day before- of her in a raging inferno and him bleeding and screaming out for her in agony while Emily's amber pendant swings back and forth between the images as they float languidly through her mind and out of her open mouth. By the time she finishes, she is panting she has been speaking so fast- reeling off image after horrifying, loving image at a speed she didn't even know it was possible to go at. Tears slip down her cheeks, but she can barely feel them; so used to waking up with them coursing across her face that she barely pays them any attention anymore. The sense of detachment she feels to the images now scares her, but some instinct- dormant and forgotten tells her it won't last, that this is all Damon, that she'll be herself again soon enough.

He drops his hypnotic gaze, letting it fall to the sheets below them while still cradling her face tenderly between his hands as he struggles to control his feelings; impossible elation and joy that she really **is** Katherine, but slightly bitter disappointment at her lack of knowledge. Whatever happened to make her human, to bring her forward so very far in time, to put her here, in mystic falls at the precise time he came back, also took away all of her knowledge of her previous life. Why she was slowly beginning to get vague glimpses of them now, he had no idea. But he was determined to find out: starting with that little witch Emily's spell book. He was sure she had something to do with it, only she would have had the power to grant him such a perfect and impossible second chance. And maybe that book of hers would tell him how to get Katherine's memories back so she could be fully, completely and utterly his and they could finally have the life he has waited almost one hundred and fifty years for.

She's is aware she just told him everything but she can't bring herself to feel the usual shame that comes with over sharing something so personal. Instead, she simply feels acceptance that she's told him, he deserved to know after all. But still, something niggles at the back of her mind as she watches him mull over what she's just told him and she catches herself saying quietly, but with a distinctive edge to her voice- as though it's not entirely her speaking

"You will not do that to me again Damon. I won't be made to do anything against my will. You should be well aware of that by now." He stares at her in contemplation before slowly nodding his head in acquiescence- never once breaking eye contact with her as he bows to her wishes. She still isn't sure exactly what he did, she only knows it was something unnatural- the name dances tauntingly through the back of her mind; infuriatingly out of reach as she stares him down. With a sigh and a small smile, she drops her gaze as she quietly enquires "So, what do you think this is then, if not reincarnation?"

His gaze narrows as he stares fixedly at the sheets beneath him before suddenly jumping up; pulling her easily with him and sweeping over to his closet to retrieve as clean shirt. Striding back towards the chair, he grabs their jackets, muttering lowly "I've got a fair few ideas" while tossing hers easily over to her and donning his own as she watches him bemusedly. He speeds quickly over to the doorway, grasping her chin as he nears her and whispering fervently "we've got ourselves a little whit witch to find...and you've got an aunt to do some explaining to."


End file.
